I learned something new today. I had no idea that Super Blues where carbon blades, I always thought that they where silicon coated stainless steel. No wonder why I like them
Day number five with the Shavety First Shake Sharp and the Super Blue blade that is on tour from Ryan (PLANofMAN). It only took me five days to figure out the the shaking of this razor. You really have to shake it like mad man to get the hone to move back and forth. I could imagine what my wife would think if she walked past the bathroom and seen me shaking this thing. "No honey, I am not taking out my road rage on the razor". I thought it was a novelty but the built in hone has some warrant when it comes to smoothing the edge on these old carbon blades. With day five on the same exposed edge I feel like it has plenty of life left in it. This razor continues to impress me, from it's build quality to it's performance. I have owned and/or tried close to forty razors this year, I would put the Shake Sharp in my top ten.
Beautiful picture! One thing I should mention is that the build quality on the gold plated shake sharps is of a higher level than the nickle plated ones. I don't know if they were made on different machines but there are some slight differences. I'll try to get some detailed pictures up this week highlighting the things I've noticed.
Interesting . Mainly because I got mine a number of months ago and haven't figured out how to use it. Reading all of this may help!! I hope...
I have seen one in a case marked G.E. Jones for sale at least three times in the last 12 months. I keep wondering if it is the same one, or if the company had purchased them as gifts for the sales reps or clients. I do concur, I think it looks better in gold and usually I am not a fan of gold razors.
Yep, I generally dislike gold on razors too. Not sure but this one could look better b/c nickel makes it look TOO much, at a glance, like an old Gem/Ever Ready SE. Gold really sets it apart. So if you're using the loaner, have you (or anyone else) decided you're going to track one down?
I'm sure you'll figure it out if you read through this thread. If you decide you don't want it, I know a few people who would be more than happy to take it off your hands. G.E. Jones was the manufacturer of the Shake Sharp Razors. So, yes they are the same razor. I have noticed that some of the razors say Shavety First on the bottom plate, while others just say Shake Sharp. They are identical razors though. The only one that is different is the one with the black Bakelite handle. The only differences that I know of is the top plate is not hinged, but is a separate piece, and the hone is flat and not beveled. If I can get my hands on one, I will be able to tell you more. I do know that the later gold and nickle plated razors were considered an improvement to the design.
Yes, I am bitten by it and am actively looking for one. It usually takes me three shaves to decide if I like a razor, it took me one with this. I am going to be very picky though, as I want a gold one in excellent to mint condition. I plan on give a very detailed review once I am done with it.
Day number seven with the Shavety First Shake Sharp and the Super Blue blades that is on tour from Ryan (PLANofMAN). If a modern manufacturer was to produce a single edge I would hope that they would produce a razor similar to this. By using DE blades it offers the wet shaver a far greater selection than what is available with a SE, plus the blade can be turned around for the other edge to be used. This is my seventh shave on one edge. Mind you, I am using one of the greatest blades ever produced at the moment, but lets talk modern blades. Even if a person was only able to get three shaves per edge, a pack of 100 blades would last you over sixteen months. Another great shave with the Shake Sharp. Two and half passes with minor buffing on the neck gave me another BBS shave.
Azarius, you pointed out yet another plus to the Shakey: it is VERY buff-friendly. I'm all about neck-buffing (can't get BBS w/o it). I've noticed how well it buffs but hadn't really thought about it until you said something. The control the semi-short handle gives, plus the curved hood, are very well suited for it. I'm just waiting for someone with the modern carbon Treets (I think that's who makes carbons today) uses one in the Shaker.
Well, I've tried the same razor as Arley, and I like it a lot as well. Only one minor drawback: its balance. It's a bit different than most other razors. YMMV of course, but that is what keeps me from actively searching for a shakey. If I stumble upon a reasonably priced one in a reasonable condition, however, I shan't hesitate!
I could be all wrong here but if it were any longer, the shaking/sharpening aspect might be harder to control and/or more work. Having such a relatively short handle forces you to choke up tight on it to use the hone, meaning (for me) less risk of it going flying out of my hand. And that's always a good thing. Not saying they designed it short with that in mind, but it works for me.
Day number eight with the Shavety First Shake Sharp and the Super Blue blades that is on tour from Ryan (PLANofMAN). Today I flipped the blade to use the other edge. Before using it I did a few shakes on each side to hone it. I am in awe that I am on my eight shave with this blade. Typically I toss any blade after three shaves as I have always viewed blades as the cheapest part of our shaving routine. I would rather spend 10 cents per shave on a blade than have my face suffer for it, but that is not the case with this razor and blade combo. In all fairness I should have used a modern DE blade to compare how well it performs in the Shake Sharp, but being the frugal bastard that I am, I could not see tossing a blade that still had an edge that was unused. I only have six days left with the razor before it goes to the next person on tour. I have already made up my mind that I like the Shake Sharp enough to purchase one, so really, I do not need to "test" it any further, but I so enjoy the shaves. Another great shave with the Shake Sharp. Two full passes and buffing on the neck gave me such a smooth shave that it made my open combs jealous.
I hope you guys kept/are keeping some of the blades to try in other razors? I sent out at least twenty blades (I think it was actually over 30 blades) and so far as best I can tell, between you and Mac, you guys have used 2 blades. Also, Arley, at this time there is no one after you in the rotation, as all others have withdrawn. Looks like you might get to play with it for a while longer.
I thought already that was your aim. 'bout five had disengaged themselves from the cards, so I kept those. Thanks again, mate! I had an empty Gillette blade cartridge, so I stored them there
Shavety First Shake Sharp Razor Complete Review Pros: Highly effective, great finish, unique design, well balanced weight Cons: Hard to find Price: 7 Quality: 9 User Friendly: 8 Grip: 10 Ease of Blade Replacement: 10 Aggressiveness: 6 Adjustability: N/A Balance:9 Overall Rating: 8.5 Would I recommend: Yes The Shake Sharp Razor. Something that we do not see much of. Everytime I post pics of it on the various FB groups people would ask, Is it a DE? A SE? According to Gorgo, it is a Mono-DE Razor..I sort of like that name. I was telling them it is a Mono-Exposed Edge DE Razor. The Shake Sharp was manufactured by Shavety First, New York, NY in 1945 through 1948 from the research I can find. It uses a double edge blade, but only has a single edge exposed. After using this Mono-Edge Razor I want to get rid of every SE that I own...why? I can get SE type shaves with the convenience and choice of DE blades. That is the one thing that bothers me with SE razors, lack of blade choice. The build quality of this razor in far better than many vintage razors that you will find from the same period. Although this is a "user grade", it is far superior to any user grade Gillette that in the price point. Speaking of price, it seems to be all over the place for these razors. I have seen them sell as low as $28.00 USD and as high as $95.00 USD. That is a major variance, but as every other vintage razor, it is driven by what someone is willing to pay for one. The shaking hone did seem to work with carbon blades. I had pushed 9 shaves from one blade and I am sure that I could have gotten more out of it. The shave itself is right about in the middle of the aggressive scale, for me, much like a Super Speed. The size and weight making it an ideal razor for those who like to finish off their shave with buffing on their neck, as it feels like it was made for it. In my opinion if a person can grab one for under $50 it is a good deal and worthy of purchase. This is a very unique razor that is a fine shaver to add to your rotation. I would like to thank Ryan again for giving me the opportunity to try out this razor.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintag...=&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 $29.95 for a gold Shake Sharp, shipped. Bidding ended today, someone got a good deal, I hope it was someone here at the Den.
http://shavenook.com/thread-shake-sharp-review-the-de-with-a-se-face Here's another interesting review of the Shake Sharp razor by Samjax over at the Shave Nook. I'm starting to feel mildly famous, as he quoted me in his post. For those wanting a more technical review of this razor, I highly recommend reading this, as he not only gives the dimensions, he also compares blade exposure and gap to a variety of other popular razors. Thanks to Azarius, as he gave me the link. One thing I would like to add, as Samjax appears confused by the way the blade acts in this razor. The curvature of the top piece stiffens the blade to a remarkable degree, and when you factor in that half of the bottom plate is spring loaded, it should be no surprise that this razor displays a remarkable degree of both flexibility and stiffness that one usually finds only on a straight edge razor.
